Cafe, Princess? Got Anything Stronger?
by Munchkin Pumpkin
Summary: Kylo Ren goes into labor, reunites with his mother and old flame. Hux is helpful, Phasma takes off her bucket and Snoke is none-the-wiser. MPREG! Not following a set chapter, just set in the SW universe. I don't think there are any LJ spoilers, if there are - you should have watched it by now! :P My first work in this fandom, so contstructive criticism is welcomed.
1. Chapter 1

There was no chance for rest when you were a leading member of the First Order, apprentice to the Supreme Leader, Snoke. Commanding armies and intensive training was a daily part of his routine and Kylo Ren was physically exhausted - not that he could let down his tough exterior for even a minute or else somebody would attempt to snatch his status from under him in his weakest moments. General Hux would be the first to undermine him, stab him in the back and steal Snoke's favour all because of petty jealousy. The risk far outweighed the torment and Kylo acted as if everything was going to be okay, using the force to shield his suffering from Snoke's watchful eye.

He figured he was close now, he'd been pregnant for a while and knew he couldn't possibly get any bigger. The skin on his stomach was sore and tight, he rubbed it tenderly as he showered. His head bowed as the warm water saturated his hair and trickled down his body, already his feet were turning a swollen purple.

"Not this again." He breathed, supporting himself with a hand against the wall. He thought the false contractions had ended when he managed to fall back to sleep early this morning after a long night of cramps and blasting kicks. Apparently not as it seemed. Things had just gotten progressively worse, not unlike his previous experiences with false contractions. He was completely sure that he still had a few more weeks before he had to worry about going into labour.

Once clean he towel dried his mess of hair and put on his robes. He found his figure grotesque, even under the many layers. To begin, his changing body severely impacted his pride but he found that his new predicament meant that nobody talked back or argued. The constant mood swings made his volatile temper even more explosive and the armada at his side became ever so protective at Snoke's command as the pregnancy progressed. Snoke still bullied him nonetheless, making the pregnancy a sharp-edged sword.

A healthy appetite was something he rather enjoyed about being pregnant, on a daily basis he would visit the mess hall or hail room service at least 5 times. He was sure the kitchen staff were sick and tired of him wasting their time. Unlike before, where he might have a single meal a day, now he couldn't cope with going for any longer than a few hours without engorging. It made a dramatic change to his behaviour in the early stages of pregnancy where he lost significant amounts of weight and threw up anything he ate or Frank.

By now the kitchen staff were expecting his arrival, already laying out a feast of his favourite -and stomachable- foods. His overly sensitive stomach gave him an aversion to certain foods, just the smell would make him nauseous enough to vomit. He stood clear of red meat and most green vegetables - but only when steamed- and most importantly, dairy.

So, breakfast consisted usually of mixed fruits; mainly Jogan fruit, desert plums and shuura with some toast. All preferably with a steaming glass of H'kak bean tea. Occasionally the kitchens would experiment with fresh cuisines from planets they dock in. Although it was hard to enjoy his meals alongside the other generals and high-ranking officers seeing as they all took to mocking him for eating too much or belittling his bizarre food cravings. On some mornings he would even request to eat alone in his chambers.

This morning was going to be no different, Kylo made his way to the executive feast room where the others all sat around a long table with a banquet of food slapped in the middle. Most officers kept breakfast short because they were so busy, only drinking caf and eating flatbread.

"We weren't sure whether you were going to join us." The Cardinal announced, seeing as Kylo's sluggish behaviour had made him suspiciously later than usual.

"Are you feeling okay this morning? You're looking incredibly pale." Phasma asked, incredibly concerned.

"There's nothing the matter." He gritted, feeling overwhelmed by another pestering cramp. The pain was bearable enough that he could keep a straight face in front of the other officials. Kylo took a seat, lowering himself down pitifully.

"I'm glad."

"The kitchen brought up some eopie cream pie, it must be a special occasion." The Admiral smiled cheerfully, helping himself to a rather sizable half, as well as spooning the leftover cream from the bottom of the container. Kylo had made himself a promise to eat healthier after the doctors told him he was going to develop pregnancy-related diabetes if he continued eating excessively. Yet, he felt due a pick-me-up and relished the possibility of sweet talking the baby into being good.

"Kylo Ren." General Hux looked down upon him from the doorway, "the Supreme Leader wishes to speak with you." Kylo begrudgingly dropped everything and swiftly made his exit.

"Ah, it's the noble Kylo Ren." Master Snoke bellowed. "Perhaps you should be taking things easy, poor little Ben Solo." He laughed condescendingly. Defensively, Kylo stood as straight and as tall as he possibly could, to prove he still had authority.

"I'm okay, Supreme Leader." In all honesty, he was far from fine, his stomach cramped and back spasmed ferociously. He had been feeling the same on and off for a number of weeks now but this felt somewhat different, more intense. He ignored the signals and dismissed them as nothing more than Braxton Hicks, of which he had experienced many times before.

"In that case, what progress has been made in locating the Rebel ships?" Kylo couldn't bear to make eye contact with his leader, he had not made any sufficient discoveries and the Supreme Leader would no doubt punish him for his incompetence. "I knew you were the wrong person for the job. General Hux wouldn't disappoint me as frequently as you." From under him, his legs buckled, Snoke had slammed him to the ground.

"No!" Kylo yelled uncontrollably, "I can do this." His pupils flared with passion, he couldn't lose the Supreme Leader's affection. He had become too accustomed to the endless cycle of emotional and physical abuse, although Snoke appeared to be 'going soft' on him these last few weeks which made Kylo on-edge about not making any severely punishable offences.

"Show me! You have had months to locate an army a fraction of my own and you have repeatedly failed! Maybe you don't want to find the Rebel scum?" Snoke was obviously hinting at his growing affliction between his mother and Rey, and the alliance he swore loyalty to. Something he was punished for regularly and perhaps the recent disparity between punishments was further tipping the balance.

"I will not disappoint you again." In such a moment it was entirely inappropriate to break down in tears. Regardless of the willpower he possessed, his new emotions had such a debilitating effect that his cheeks flushed red and rang wet.

"Pathetic. Get out of my sight!" Snoke banished Kylo from his chamber pointing a long and bony finger towards the grand exit. Two of Snoke's elite guards rushed to Kylo's aid, helping him to his feet, he declined their help and struggled to pull himself from the ground. Snoke laughed as he watched on, "pitiful." He once again mocked. Head hung in shame, Kylo left with haste. He was a shambolic reflection of the First Order, bowing to human emotions...he was weak.

"Are you alright, Sire?" Phasma approached, noticing the state Kylo was in. He usually made a strong attempt to collect himself whenever she was around, being that she was his subordinate. Not that it entirely seemed that way recently. Phasma still had remote elements of humanity and compassion and came to Kylo's aid. "What is the matter?" Kylo clung desperately to his stomach, face crippled with pain.

"Get off of me!" Kylo shoved Phasma's metallic arm away. "You forget yourself." The pain subsided and Kylo brushed the dirt and dust from his knees. He hadn't meant to be so abrasive but he now found himself on a mission to prove himself.

"My utmost apologies." Phasma stepped back immediately, knowing Kylo was a force not to be reckoned with at the best of times, let alone distraught and heavily pregnant.

"I'm too busy for this nonsense. Please settle down." He wasn't able to read the baby's mind like he could anybody else's, it was frustrating. He couldn't communicate or figure out what this baby needed. Other than physical signs, he had no idea what the baby was up to or what it even looked like. He had been given many opportunities to agree to an ultrasound scan, but denied every single one on the grounds that he wasn't attached to the infant and that nothing would change the fact that it was; 'a parasite, feeding on the force.' Kylo was in such distress, it was greatly concerning.

The pain eventually subsided. Like the many times before, he didn't bother going to the infirmary. The first time the pain occurred he was rushed to the hospital and given a thorough examination. He had been adamant that in that instance he was in labour, but alas, the pain dissipated. Since that day two months ago, he had experienced episodes as frequently as once a week - usually during times of great stress.

This was different. The pain had started at around 4 am, which hardly seemed anything worrying about, it subsided and he managed to get a few more hours of sleep. Unlike before, pain radiated from his lower back and spread across his front, turning his midsection into stone. When the pain first started it was barely noticeable. Now, however, it was quite alarming. Causing shortness of breath and immeasurable pain.

Still, he thought it best to ignore it. Nothing about his entire journey had been textbook and that wasn't about to change.

In the navigation room, Kylo took a slow and steady decline into his overarching chair, "why haven't I heard anything? General Hux, can I not rely on you to do your job?" In his absence, Hux was to lead the mission and report back before making executive decisions.

"I was sure that you needed the sleep, that thing is sucking the life from you." Hux crossed the boundaries and fiercely poked Kylo's stomach. Heads turned to watch the display in a stunned silence.

"That is none of your concern! I warned you about what would happen the next time you defied orders!" Kylo reached his hand out, channelling the force. General Hux levitated on the spot, turning red in the face as Kylo choked him, "we are now in the wake of a Rebel attack and it's entirely your fault!"

"Sir!" A lower class general cried out. Kylo's attention shifted and Hux fell to the floor. Had it not been for the sudden outburst, his fury would have killed Hux. Pregnancy hormones or not, he'd wanted the man gone for quite some time.

"What is it?"

"It's the Rebels, they're hailing us..." Dread was apparent in the young officer's tone. It was obvious that he hadn't seen the likes of battle as yet. It seemed today was to be his lucky day, real experiences of war were underfoot.

"Open the line." Kylo took his seat once again and straightened himself up for the video call.

"We're on, Sir." Poe Dameron and Fin made an appearance in the holographic message. Kylo was taken back, having not seen the two in quite a long time and have suffered at their hands for his inability to find them. There they were, openly, without a reflector shield; about to deliberate on their presence.

"We've been on your tail for far too long. Prepare to surrender or brace for attack! You've got one hour!" Poe voiced, rage rampant in his words. Before the military could respond the line went dead.

"Find them! How hard can it be to locate a small fleet? Mnn..." Kylo stumbled backwards, holding the weight of his stomach. There it was again, another wave of agony. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, his breath shaky upon release.

"Allow me to take you to the infirmary."

"They will only send me away, it's false contractions. No doubt caused by the miserable work being done here." Kylo gripped tightly at Hux's collar, "I just need to go to the bathroom." It was then that a slight pressure which had begun to grow, relieved with an undetectable 'pop'.

"As you wish." Hux escorted Kylo to the bathroom as ordered, usually, Hux would have argued back for being treated like a slave but understood that the circumstances made that inappropriate and Kylo was desperate.

"Stop!" Kylo froze, his legs partially spread, the fluids from his waters rushed down his right leg, pooling in a puddle on the floor and seeping onto General Hux's boots. "No, no, no!"

"What an imbecile, you've been in labour this whole time!"

"Not now. This can't be happening, I'm needed here!" It had to be just his luck that he was to go into labour today, the day he was most needed to do his job. The day Snoke would be watching his every move.

"Supreme Leader Snoke has made his orders very clear, that upon first signs that the baby is making its way into the world, you be taken straight to the medical bay." Hux stood his ground, grabbing Kylo by the arm.

"I won't go. Without me, you have no way of contacting the Rebels." He made a desperate attempt. Knowing that Hux's desire to please Snoke was greater than his compassion, he pleaded to stay. Otherwise, Hux would run to Snoke and tattle, then his armed guards would 'escort' him to the medical bay.

"We won't need to contact them, we can blow them out of space if they arm the offensive." He was completely foolish and over presumptuous. Hux had too much trust in the competence of the ship and its crew, which perhaps made him cocky and oblivious to the real considerable danger everybody onboard was in. If the history of the resistance's power wasn't enough to frighten him, then we must assume his heart and brain for that matter are made of stone.

"I'm staying, release me. That's an order." Pulling his superiority ranking as leverage, he had authority and autonomy to make his own decisions.

"It'll be on your head." Hux spat. "The pilots are out. We need to send the TIE fighter ships. Alert Phasma." He commanded. "Go! Destroy them all."

"Yes, Sir."

"Make sure the shield is operating at full potential." Despite having more time left under the supposed temporary ceasefire to surrender, Hux made no plans to sit idly and wait for them to make the first move. It should have been obvious to the Resistance that the First Order was not in the business of making deals with their enemy or backing out of a fight they have the upper hand in.

"Wait, I can feel the other, she is on-board." Kylo had been developing his strength to communicate with others using the force. He had tried many times to talk to the baby, but it soon became clear that it must have been of an ordinary nature. At least he had been able to communicate with Rey before and knew she kept her mind open. He focused and gave it his best effort to relax, guiding the force and penetrating through Rey's head.

" _You need to turn back. Our weapons are far superior. You will be destroyed." Kylo warned._

 _"I don't take orders from you!" Rey barked, snidely._

" _I'm only trying to spare you the pain..." Not only that but he didn't want to see his mother suffer or potentially die at his hands, after all, she was one of the few people he still had not harmed. Killing his father sent him over the edge, it drove him insane and straight into the arms of a rebel – which had led to the circumstances he found himself in today. Whilst he desperately fought with his conflicting loyalties he knew that things were different now. He had a respect for the Rebels and his mother, as well as a growing and undying love for the half-breed growing inside him._

" _What's going on?" She asked, curious as to the strain of his voice._

" _Mock me if you must, but I'm in no mood for this puny attempt. I'm pregnant and in labour." He confessed._

 _(Rebel ship) "_ _ **Fire**_ _!"_

" _No! Stop, Ben is onboard that ship, pregnant and about to give birth." Rey cried, not everybody on the ship still believed that Ben Solo was worth the risk, keeping him alive. Rey knew that he was turnable, that there was still hope that he wouldn't become the next Darth Vader._

 _(Rebel ship) "_ _ **We've lost communications with the others...they're prepared to launch an attack**_ _."_

 _(Rebel ship) "_ _ **My son is on that ship and so is my grandbaby! Stop this now!**_ _" Leia felt like spinning around merrily at the news. It shed new levels of confidence that her son would soon return, this time with a new life in his arms, another to carry on the family legacy._

" _We all still care about you, Ben. I'll try my best from this end." Rey spoke positively, regardless of how hard it may be, she would be determined to protect Kylo at the very least._

" _I make no such promises," Kylo replied, shutting off the connection. It was obvious that he had no authority to call off the attack, should he do, he would have to answer to the cold and menacing hands of Supreme Leader Snoke._

"Mnn..." He whimpered, "the contractions are far too strong..." Kylo admitted.

"We need to get you to the medical bay. You cannot have the baby here." Hux pulled Kylo up from the chair with two arms. The man was incredibly heavy, heavier than he remembered, not that he'd ever make such a remark out loud. Kylo was sensitive enough at the moment without making him self-conscious.

"Agreed."

"Can you still walk?"

"I think so..." Hux let Kylo drape his arm around his neck whilst he grabbed Kylo's side. He felt the younger man flinch at his touch but did not react. He knew it was probably due to Snoke's abuse, disguised as 'training' that Kylo was so jumpy and hated to be touched.

"Slowly, slowly...whoa!" The two walked together down the hall when Kylo's legs began to buckle as another contraction rippled through his stomach. Hux used all of his strength to keep his companion from falling to the ground. He helped Kylo to remain upright and repeated as they walked, "just breath" like a mantra.

"I don't think there's any more time." Kylo stopped, they were at least 20 minutes away from the medical bay, walking at this speed. It was realistic to accept defeat and find somewhere comfortable.

"It looks like we'll have to deliver the baby here, in the bathroom?" It seemed the only closest place to go, somewhere they can lock themselves away and deliver the baby un-interrupted. "It looks like this child doesn't favour waiting."

"Definitely -NOT!" He protested through another rather painful contraction.

"You don't have much of a choice." Hux pulled off his uniform cape and laid it on the floor, "I'm going to get some help."

"General Hux, if you leave me here, I will rip you limb-from-limb." Oh, it would be such a sight, should anybody unknowingly wander in to see their general, Snoke's right-hand man, drenched in his own amniotic fluid sitting helplessly on the floor; Kylo would no doubt kill them. There can be no witnesses of such a horrific sight, or else he'd lose all the respect he had among the subordinates.

"I am not a midwife. I cannot deliver a baby." At that moment Hux contemplated leaving Kylo and running away, he was only fit to command a fleet, he'd never know how to help deliver a baby; let alone know what to do should things take a dramatic turn for the worse, which was highly likely given the unprecedented nature of the pregnancy.

"Never mind that! You have to help me. I need to push." Hux had never seen Kylo so vulnerable before. The man's general being was one of a fierce and quiet exterior, he remained a closed book to everybody, and a lone wolf of sorts. Now Hux could see the real Kylo, a boy in need, somebody brave and admirable.

"When the Supreme Leader hears of this, he will have both of our heads." He had no other choice, in good conscience, he couldn't leave Kylo alone, it would be dangerous and stupid.

"That isn't the most pressing issue at the moment- oh god!" Kylo wept, clutching at his stomach.

"I don't know what to do!" Hux said in a hectic panic. He was completely unaware of why Kylo was in so much pain and knew not of any ways to make it stop, yet all he could do was watch as Kylo squirmed and screamed. He was completely useless.

"Keep calm! You're not the one who is trying to pass a hubba gourd out of an extremely narrow birth canal!" A part of him wished that he was still blissfully ignorant of the perils of sex, that he hadn't been stupid enough to lay with another man, knowing the consequences.

"Okay...um...right... Let's take this off." He began to strip Kylo of his external garbs, including his cape and cloak, he folded them up creating something resembling a pillow to support Kylo's head.

"It burns..." He breathed, his eyes glued tightly shut as he rode out the pain.

"I'm going to have to take off your trousers." Hux gulped, he never would have thought he'd be saying this to his co-worker, ever. But here he was, grasping at the elasticated waistband of Kylo Ren, about to pull off the other man's altered trousers.

"If you breathe a word to a single soul about anything you see here, it'll be the end of you." He threatened once again. He knew that Hux didn't want to be here as much as he didn't want Hux to be the one delivering his child, but he was still grateful that he stayed and was going through such horrors with him.

"I wouldn't dare..." Hux took a moment to prepare himself for what he was about to see, having closed his eyes and braced for what he could only assume to be a gaping vagina-like opening, "oh god." He gasped, opening his eyes.

"What is it? What do you see?" Kylo leant forward but couldn't see over the mound he used to call an 'eight-pack'. Hux's expressions were far from what he wanted to hear, it made him overcome with worry and fear.

"Hair...and a lot of it." Kylo threw himself back down with relief. Hux was still in awe of how much hair a new-born could possibly have already. "Indeed, the baby is crowning." The hair-covered round likeness of the head peeked through the canal, understandably the cause of the burning sensation that Kylo had complained about. "How do you want to do this? I beg of you not to lay here on the floor." The potential future of the first order was about to be born on the dirty bathroom floor.

"I'll squat." Despite having very little strength left, he made the effort to climb up off the floor and perch in a squatting position, holding on tightly to the skin in front of him. "Hux, don't let it drop. I beg of you- this hurts!" Kylo held onto the sink for dear life, his fingers turning white from blood loss.

"Don't fret. Just push, okay?" He removed his cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves, just passed his elbows, ready for the dirty work to begin. Hux held either side of the baby's head for extra measure, making sure that he could grab the baby should it just 'come sliding out'.

"I am!" Kylo was indeed pushing, with all the strength he could muster, gritting his teeth in the process. He'd never experienced so much pain, the punishments that Snoke would deal paled in comparison; he'd take an unleashed session with the Supreme Leader over this any day.

"I'm sorry. You can keep the cloak by the way." Kylo exhaled heavily as the contraction passed and gave a small chuckle. He rested his forehead against the cold porcelain to cool himself down a little. All power that used to fuel the ventilation was being directed to the deflectors which made the situation a little less bearable.

"How generous of -YOU!" It seemed the contractions were coming every minute now, with very little time in-between to recuperate, it felt like each contraction simply blended into one permanent state of agony. "Ahh!"

"The head is out. Keep going!" A small and wrinkled face poked out from the orifice, it filled Hux with a sense of excitement, he cheered Kylo on, anticipating the end.

"I'm trying." He replied through the gaps in his breathing.

"Are you using the force?" Hux suggested.

"No... I'm not relaxed enough." He hadn't even thought about trying to use the force at all, he wasn't sure whether it could be used that way to manipulate his own body.

"Try. It might help. I'll clean your face with some cold water." General Hux ran some tissue under the cold water tap and began wiping away the sweat that garnished his forehead. "Just focus." Kylo stretched his fingers, which were numb and bloodless from gripping the skin too hard and took a deep breath. "It's working, just push hard for me, one more time!" Kylo's body instantly became less tense, with the force acting as a natural remedy.

"Ugh!" Kylo grunted and bore down, the promise of this being the last time filled him with hope and strength to carry on.

"And again!" Hux encouraged.

"You said -ONE MORE!" Kylo cried, the immense pain bringing tears to his eyes. The shoulders were the hardest part to pass and it seemed the baby was just as stubborn as it's father, putting up quite the fight.

"I've told you already, I'm not a midwife." Hux tried to pull the baby from the base of the neck, hoping that he could try and help things along since Kylo was about ready to collapse, judging from the pulsating veins that protruded against the skin on his legs.

"PUUUUUSH- "

"AHHHHHH- "The two competed for the acoustics in the room. Kylo gave it his utmost last drop of energy as the rest of the body glided out.

"That's it! You did it!" Hux held in his arms a magnificent baby, covered in blood, lubricant and amniotic fluid. For a clean-freak, he held no grievances about holding the gunky infant, in fact, he felt proud of his role in bringing this life into the world.

"I did?" Kylo was exhausted, so exhausted he hadn't really registered that it was all over.

"It's a beautiful baby girl, congratulations." Hux helped Kylo to the ground, his legs tense and rigid from being upright for so long. Once on the cape, Hux offered Kylo the baby, still raw and attached to its placenta.

"Don't give her to me- what are you-" He couldn't trust himself with something so small and fragile but couldn't argue when it was placed in his arms. "It's a baby girl." Kylo began to cry, he was mesmerised by the angel looking quietly back at him. He had made that, carried it around for nine months and now it was a completely separate human being. When he first went to the medical bay and they concluded that he was indeed pregnant, he wanted to end it all, terminate the pregnancy. Having a baby would only interfere with his pledge to the Supreme Leader and more importantly, he harmed everything he touched. Now, looking into the eyes of his little girl, he would go through it all again, defy any bounds, just to be with her.

"I'll cut the placenta." Once the cord had stopped pulsating, Hux took out his swiss-army knife and broke the chain between 'mother' and child. "That was excellent, the Supreme Leader will be proud of you Kylo Ren."

"She's not crying..." Kylo still couldn't get to grips with his own emotions yet, but he was prepared to hear a piercing scream as his daughter was born.

"She's probably still in shock." Hux laughed, the reality being he too was still rather in shock. "Very brave, like her father. Who is the father, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Dead." It hardly seemed far from true, being cooped up in the bathroom meant he had no idea what was going on outside, he could hear the sound of blasters and roaring engines, but all of the noise stopped just before the baby was born. For all he knew, his daughter may not have a second father anymore. Not that it made much of a difference since he vowed to raise her alone regardless.

"Oh..." Hux rubbed his neck awkwardly, forgetting for the moment that his hands were dirty and transferring Kylo's innards across his skin.

"It's just me and her." Kylo smiled down at his daughter happy, this was to be the only way he wanted to live his life, with his daughter being the centre of the universe.

"What will you call her?" Kylo paused for a moment, analysing his daughter's features, searching for a name that would fit her beauty. Whilst she primarily resembled himself, the dark brown eyes and lustrous eyelashes coupled with her cute button nose only reminded Kylo of her other half.

"Damerine." It came to him, it seemed only right that he remembers the one who helped bless the world with such a darling. A perfect name for the perfect infant ever born, and the first infant born on a First Order ship.

"A graceful name, to think, you were this insolent little brat, when you first came aboard this ship. Now you have one of your own, it seems you've all grown up." Hux teased sarcastically.

"Take her, quickly!" Kylo offloaded his daughter into Hux's arms speedily, "I need to push again." He drew his legs to his chest and leant forward as the familiar sensation relished his body, this time without the crippling pain that followed suit.

"What, why?" Hux's eyes exploded with fright.

"The placenta needs to come out." Kylo weakly pushed, feeling the sack start to slither out, the sensation made his skin crawl. It took a few more pushes before the entirety of the placenta was out and left in a pile between his legs.

"Mother of Moons…that was disgusting." Hux felt the need to gag as he watched, despite telling himself to turn away, he couldn't remove his eyes from the display in front of him.

"You have no idea." Knowing the whole ordeal was now finally over, he appreciated the struggle his own mother must have gone through delivering him. He could still remember his mother's stories about giving birth to a nine-pound baby and tearing the flesh of her vagina. Thankfully Damerine was small and dainty.

"Here, take her." Hux had wrapped the baby in one of Kylo's garments to clean her off and keep her warm, whilst being comforted by the smell of her father. "I'm going to get somebody to help carry you off." This time Kylo didn't protest, he had no will to stand. "I'll be back." Hux hurried along, finding anybody and everybody and spreading the word of good news.

"You're ada's little girl." Kylo rocked the baby gently and planted small kisses upon her head, upon her soft and smooth skin. He wished this moment would be a reflection of their relationship forever, he hoped that he'd never alienate his daughter like his parents did unto him.

"Sir!" Phasma came charging in, her armour was scuffed and dented slightly, but what was more surprising was the fact she held her bucket in one hand. "You should have come with me earlier, you could have avoided all of this." The medical bay had arranged for a pain-free birth, a caesarean due to the unwillingness of Snoke to have his protégé die giving birth, 'like a commoner'. Phasma approached the two quietly, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere. "She's rather beautiful." A doting aunt already. Having chosen a career over starting a family, Phasma had accepted the reality of never having children, so to have a little one to love and hold was magical.

"Her name is Damerine," Kylo announced, gently shifting the hair on his baby's head.

"Hello, Damerine, what lovely eyes you have." Phasma melted, turning into a gooey mess. By day, ruthless leader who commanded thousands of stormtrooper recruits and trained them as mindless soldiers; by night, a willing babysitter.

"What happened? Is the ship okay?" Kylo asked, urgency in his voice.

"The ship is fine. As a matter of fact, I have a surprise for you. Something I wouldn't normally condone, but in such exceptional circumstances, what the Supreme Leader doesn't know won't hurt him." Having her helmet off was totally against her nature as it was, what could possibly be waiting for him of such grave importance.

"What could it be?" Hux stood in the doorway with a wheelchair.

"You'll have to come with us." Phasma offered to take Damerine as Hux helped Kylo to change into a clean pair of trousers and lowered him into his chair. "Hello, you." She couldn't help but kiss the infant all over, even though she was still covered in dry fluids. Parting with the infant was going to be incredibly painful.

"I was under the impression that my stomach would go back to normal after Damerine was born." As Hux held Kylo upright, Kylo couldn't help but notice that he still had quite a sizable bump.

"It will take a few weeks for your muscles and organs to shift back to their normal positions and the excess skin on your stomach may never actually go away." Phasma relayed, Kylo was a little saddened by the idea of potentially not being able to look the way he did before but knew that this was a sacrifice all women went through to have children.

As the three of them turned the corner, Kylo became very quickly aware of what exactly the big surprise was. His mother, Rey, Fin and Poe Dameron… a face he didn't think he'd ever see again.

"You did this?" Kylo looked up at Phasma with a gaping smile.

"You, General Hux and myself are the most senior ranking officials on this ship. Nobody would dare to question a direct order." Phasma handed back the baby.

"My son!" Leia ran towards her son as quickly as her ageing legs could manage, grasping his head in a sizable embrace. She kissed the damp locks tenderly before stepping back to gaze at her grandchild with adoring eyes. "Oh, she's wonderful! Blessed with her grandmother's looks." She cheekily remarked.

"Congratulations." Rey felt practically giddy and eager to have her turn at holding the baby, seeing as it seemed like Damerine was nothing more than a party game, being shared among guests.

"Yeah, congrats bro. No hard feelings, what you've done rectifies all of my doubts." Fin felt rather awkward, whilst he was pleased for Kylo Ren, he still couldn't shake the memories he had as a subordinate under his control.

"What's my grandbaby's name?" Leia welled up at the very thought of identifying herself as 'grandma'. Something she never thought would happen, that her son would give her a new baby to kiss and to hold, her biggest fear was never being able to meet her granddaughter; that she would be locked away on the Starkiller base.

"Damerine." Kylo avoided eye contact with Poe who had somewhat hung his head with embarrassment the entire time. Kylo wasn't ready to acknowledge Poe's existence after the way he reacted to impending fatherhood. Kylo had sent a letter, a rather heartfelt letter, to Poe making him aware of the consequences of their actions and that he didn't need Poe to be involved as it would only make things complicated; being that they were on opposing sides. Poe had written back using foul words and threats, the response sent Kylo into a destructive place where he resented the life within him.

"It really suits her. You've done extremely well, my son." Kylo became bashful as his mother spoke. When they communicated like this, it only reminded him of the pleasant times he had before moving away to train with his Uncle Luke Skywalker. "I think we should give these two here a moment alone." Leia hinted, sensing the unrest.

"Caf, Princess?" Phasma offered, extending an olive branch.

"Got anything stronger?" She raised a brow suggestively, Phasma nodded her head and laughed, agreeing. They could use something with a bit more kick after the events of tonight.

"Damerine, hu?" Poe asked, breaking the silence.

"Her father may not want to have any involvement, but it seemed courteous." Kylo dug, putting in all effort to make Poe feel guilty.

"I was out of line, what I said to you was unforgivable. I was shocked, scared even." Poe could remember getting the letter, sent via a secret courier. When he first read it, he didn't know what to think; maybe it was an elaborate rouge to bring down the resistance. It was that kind of backwards thinking that he wrote the reply based on. "I tried writing other letters…but every time I'd give them to somebody they were captured before they could deliver them."

"Now is your chance to tell me, what did you really wish to say?" He didn't particularly want to give Poe a second chance after he was hurt so badly the first time, but he was stronger now and no man could bring him down.

"I wanted to say a whole load of things. That first of all; I'm sorry, for writing you that letter. I'm even sorry for not being there when you woke up that morning. I also wanted to tell you that I was scared, like really scared. I'm a cocky flyboy that loves to bring down TIE fighters, I'm not father material."

"I was scared too, I still am. I've already overcome one of my biggest fears, but now I have to live with the other. I don't expect you to suddenly abandon who you are for us, I never did." Kylo only sent the letter out of respect, he truthfully didn't want anybody's help. This was something that he wanted to do alone.

"That's just it. I've realised now that I want to be there, I wanted to be there for you this entire time. Now, I want to be there for the both of you." Kylo's emotions were still incredibly high, the mix of exhaustion, serotonin and those 'good ol'' pregnancy hormones made his lip quiver and throat sore.

"How? I'm not coming back with you. My place is here." Kylo still recognised, that above the evil dictatorship that Snoke led the First Order under, was a higher purpose. That his destiny lied at the top of the first order, where he could truly make changes.

"We can visit each other somewhere, a few times a year – or more." He proposed.

"I think we can manage that…" He'd been won over by the words of a Resistance Starfighter commander, this truly was a day to remember. "Do you want to hold her?" Kylo offered, slightly hesitantly.

"If you'll let me." Kylo gave over the baby and watched as Poe clumsily got a grip on a comfortable position, "She looks a lot like you." Poe admired.

"Infants naturally look more like their fathers, it's an evolutionary adaptation. Her eyes and nose are yours." Kylo corrected.

"I would have never thought that my features would be pretty on a woman." Kylo chuckled and shook his head disapprovingly. "It's a miracle, that's what it is. She's a miracle baby." Poe hadn't known about individuals with the force being able to bear children, irrelevant of their gender, until Kylo's letter. To him, Damerine was a miracle.

"The most painful, sleep-destroying torturous miracle in all of the galaxies." Kylo let the tears flow freely down his cheeks, he knew that Damerine was the greatest struggle he had ever faced, but he wouldn't possibly have it any other way.


	2. Chapter 2

Four weeks had passed since Damerine was born, it had taken a long time for Kylo to recover enough to go back to his usual duties. After Damerine was born and the 'visitors' had left he was whisked to the infirmary where there they have him and the newborn a physical examination – both were passed with a clean bill of health. Kylo had been shocked when the medics told him that Damerine weighed a healthy 6lbs and 7 ounces. He'd been carrying her around for the last nine months and honestly presumed he was giving birth to a 10lb baby. Regardless, the medics were astounded by the ease of her birth, that Kylo hadn't torn the skin from the canal to his anus or at least suffered from some form of abnormal haemorrhaging - as they prepared for. The complicated nature of the pregnancy made the prospect of giving birth dangerous, but that simply hadn't been the case.

After registering the birth, Kylo took Damerine back to his chambers to rest. For days he received help from selected staff whilst he recovered and moved away from the after-birth bleeding and painful cramping. Already, his stomach began to shrink as his organs shifted back to their normal positions – much to his favour – he was beginning to feel like himself again. Although he knew that his body would most likely be forever different.

Damerine had gone from the silent angel e gave birth to, to a complete monster; crying, screaming and spewing from every orifice. Kylo was overwhelmed, to say the least. The third night alone was the worst, Damerine wouldn't stop crying despite his numerous attempts to please her, Kylo simply didn't understand what she wanted. He fed her, cleaned her, rocked her and even attempted to recite a lullaby he overheard Phasma singing – all were wasted efforts. Running on very little sleep, Kylo broke down, crying over his apparent failure as a father. The only person he trusted to see him so vulnerable was Phasma, who gladly came to his rescue in the early hours of the morning. Aunt Phasma had the magic touch, something he feared he'd never acquire. Upon waking up the next morning, he felt utterly humiliated, the _Infamous Kylo Ren_ brought to a blubbering mess.

There was one thing he was sure of, that despite the late nights, midnight feedings, early mornings; the screaming, crying and vomiting – lest he forget that very first poo, tar-like and black – he was in love with his daughter.

Today, four weeks on, he was ready to return to work. He had exhaustively found the perfect nanny to take care of Damerine during the day, occasionally bringing her up for feeding, until he returned later that night. He didn't want to leave Damerine, but he had to return from his post before Hux stole it from under his feet.

4: 45 AM

Damerine was screaming, she hadn't been able to sleep through the night yet but that didn't matter, Kylo was up and ready to comfort her, as if by instinct. "What's the matter baby girl?" Kylo stood dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, rocking Damerine gently, softly planting kisses on her forehead, "did you just miss me?" Kylo shushed his daughter but still, she continued to cry.

He lifted her gently, smelling her rear-end for the obvious stench to find nothing. She had only been fed two hours ago and ate quite a stomach full, so she must not have been hungry. It seemed that she was ultimately just being fussy. Either way, he was wide awake now. He wrapped Damerine in her sling so she was now clinging to his chest, being comforted by his heart's syncopated rhythm and body heat. Kylo put on a pair of shoes and a jacket and left to take a stroll around the base. Damerine usually drifted off when they took long walks. Kylo was grateful that the Supreme Leader let him relocate to the furthest part of the base, at times like these the majority of the crewmen were fast asleep and they were isolated enough that he didn't have to worry about waking anybody up. The seclusion gave him greater freedom without having to worry about his image.

"Will you be okay without me today?" Kylo whispered, "you have to be a good girl, no crying. As a future member of the Knights of Ren, you have to be brave." He said sternly. In all honesty, he also felt quite emotional. He hadn't been apart from his daughter in weeks and didn't want to think about handing her over to a stranger he barely knew. The more he thought about it, the more he really couldn't do it. It was unthinkable to part whilst she was so young and so reliant on him. He wasn't going to be like his own parents, with a father that abandoned him and a mother too concerned with her loyalties to the Resistance to spend undetached quality time with her son.

Kylo returned to his quarters half an hour later, Damerine was not asleep but was no longer fussy so Kylo decided it was due time to take a nice warm wash. His quarters didn't have a bathtub or even a sink big enough to wash Damerine in so his only option was to shower with her under a low-pressure hose. Afterall, the Starkiller base wasn't designed with children in mind.

Kylo held Damerine in one arm and tested the water, once warm enough he edged parts of her body under the stream and used his free hand to rub the water into her nooks-and-crannies. Kylo also submerged himself, wetting his hair and body. The warm water was admittedly soothing for his sore nipples. Using a sensitive soap he cleaned Damerine's mop of brown hair and her body. Damerine seemed to love bathtime, wriggling merrily, making cheery noises. Kylo couldn't wait for his daughter to start smiling, it seemed like she was really close to reaching the milestone already. He anticipated the corners of her mouth to rise happily every time he played with her and made funny faces but she never seemed to manage. Regardless, Kylo valued this one-to-one skinship with his daughter. It reminded him of her birth, when Hux placed Damerine on him, covered in mucus. It made him gush every time.

When Damerine was all clean, he wrapped her in a towel and dried her off. Rubbing her hair dry making it stand on-end amusingly, which always brought a smile to his face. He powdered and creamed Damerine and clipped on her cloth nappy, ensuring that the pins were in properly. Such a kill was difficult to master in the beginning which resulted in a few accidental moments that he'd rather not relive.

Time passed by and Damerine was due a feeding, Kylo always knew when she was hungry because she'd perch her lips whilst explicitly crying. Kylo didn't regret his decision to breastfeed, the medical staff at the med-bay told him it was the best way to feed the baby, rather than from a bottle. Ultimately it was his decision to make and he definitely made the best choice. The first few times was a struggle because Damerine wouldn't latch on as the size of his 'breasts' were incredibly small. As soon as she did, she would drink him dry. Yet, because of the small capacity his breast tissue could hold, she was hungry more often which meant that she was almost constantly attached to his chest, making his nipples sore. Feeding also often involved Damerine scratching the skin on his chest with her tiny, sharp, claw-like nails, but Kylo didn't mind.

The bond between them was only strengthened by his choice to breastfeed. At first, I was particularly difficult to bond with his daughter, after all, he hadn't given much to the baby in-utero fearing it more of a parasite than his flesh and blood. When Damerine refused to suckle, Kylo only really became frustrated and drifted further away from Damerine. Then, as if she could read his inner thoughts, she began to feed. Since then, Kylo relished in the attention. Watching his daughter feed blissfully only reminded him of how much she really was an angel.

Damerine drank solidly for fifteen minutes, Kylo could only imagine how big she would get from eating so frequently. He threw her over his shoulder where he winded her over a thick towel, wary of the projectile nature of newborns. Although, that often did very little in shielding the impact. Damerine would spit up in his hair or it would trickle down the cloth and absorb into his clothes. He frequently smelt of milk and almost all of his clothes were ruined by vomit stains.

Before long there was a knock at the door, the nanny had arrived, Kylo hadn't called ahead because he knew that he was likely to change his mind and stop being such a 'doting' father. "Hello, good morning." He greeted the woman.

"Up nice and early I see?" she took notice that the two were already dressed and ready for the day, although it had taken Kylo longer to get dressed that he'd hoped. Leaving little time to do some spot-cleaning. This was simply because Kylo struggled to find anything that fit him. His old uniform was far too small, what with the tummy and weight gain, and his new tailored uniform was miles too big. He had been frustrated and emotional but he had to remember that his explosive tendencies were not okay around Damerine. He never wanted her to be afraid of him like his subordinates, he wanted his daughter to idolise him as a warrior, once she became old enough to understand his mission.

"I regret to inform you that your services will not be necessary today. I am not ready to return to work just yet." Kylo still had plans to ease himself back into ranks, attending the morning staff meeting and listening to Hux's speech on the front steps was a first step in getting back into the loop. He knew he could manage at least those simple things with Damerine strapped to his chest.

"Don't you worry, the base is running smoothly without you, take as much time as you need. There is no rush, it is important to spend as much time as you need, Commander." Kylo was taken back by the formalities, he hadn't been treated with this level of respect for weeks. Not even the medical staff referred to his position, in fact, they would quite frequently yell at him for not listening to their advice. It would no doubt take quite some time to get used to.

"I can ensure that you will be paid the full day," Kylo promised.

"Just give me a call if you change your mind or if you need anything." She bowed her head before making an exit. He did feel rather guilty for wasting her time but in the end, he was glad that she had been so understanding.

Kylo picked up the small bag he had packed, which he left by the door. Inside it had clean clothes, nappies and soft toys, all things he would no doubt need for the day ahead, "Let's go shall we?" kylo took a deep breath before shutting the door behind himself. It would be a slow but easy day today with most of the attention from members of staff, all fussing over Damerine, seeing as she hadn't faced the public yet. Even still he carried his lightsaber just for good measure.

It took significantly longer than expected to reach the usual meeting room in the north quadroon. Luckily though, Damerine had fallen asleep on the way over which meant that she'd hopefully be quiet through the meeting.

"Master Ren. It has been a long time!" The Admiral cheered from across the room. "I didn't expect to see you up and about so soon."

"And with Damerine, I see?" General Hux stood to greet Kylo as he made his way to his seat. "How have you two been?" He asked. He honestly felt rather insulted that Kylo hadn't kept him informed, seeing as he helped Kylo deliver the baby, getting personal inelegantly quickly, with a lot more of the Knight of Ren than he ever thought.

"Very well." Kylo avoided eye contact with the General. To be frank, he felt embarrassed being in his presence. Whilst he was eternally grateful that Hux didn't up and leave like he originally wanted to, it was almost like Hux was looking at him differently, which made him bashful.

"If you don't mind me saying, Master Ren- "

"When have you ever minded, Cardinal? All matter that comes from your mouth is unsolicited."

"I suppose you've got a point, but I just wanted to say, I'm surprised at how small she is given how large you had gotten." The Cardinal burst into uncontainable laughter, the rest of the room remained eerily silent. It was obvious that the Cardinal had overstepped his bounds. Tension fell as the members of staff waited for Kylo to flip out in some way.

"That is entirely inappropriate!" Phasma smashed her fist against the table, the echoing 'bang' shocked the Cardinal into a dumbfounded stutter.

"I'd like a status report." Kylo shrugged off the Cardinal's vulgarity, changing the direction of the conversation.

"It seems that Sprog has made you soft. The Kylo Ren I knew would have reached over the table-" The Admiral chuckled. He'd promised himself that there would be no violent outbursts and vengeful use of the force when Damerine was in such close proximity. So he calmly collected his anger, taking a deep breath.

"I dare you to refer to my daughter with that name one more time, it'll be your head." The pet name only filled him with the unpleasant nostalgia of his own childhood. Not only that but 'sprog' was a commoner word, something beneath the glory he held his daughter with.

"Right...I apologise." Both the Admiral and Cardinal shrunk into their seats. Kylo's wrath was legendary enough to still be afraid of the slight rise of his voice, ultimately scaring them without even lifting a finger.

"I do believe I asked for a status report. It appears that it's become common practice to make executive decisions without my input." He was entirely bitter about the other officials neglecting his authority and refraining from keeping information relayed.

"That was my doing, I asked that all decisions be delegated to General Hux and myself. It was in your best interest. So you could fully appreciate the time with your daughter and make a full recovery." Kylo had a difficult time holding Phasma to any negative will. Her motherly tendencies were what he admired about her and he had no doubt she would have made well-executed decisions on his behalf.

"Ah." He replied, mute.

"Not much has happened without you here, odd...isn't it?" General Hux teased. "We still haven't had word from the Rebels, or found out the cause of their retreat; it seems they have gone into hiding once again." General Hux gazed over towards Kylo, who wasn't paying him very much attention, his focus fixed on the infant. Hux had his suspicions, that the Rebels would suddenly dissipate an attack as Kylo would go into labour.

"Was the Supreme Leader angry?" If he was, it was sure unlike their ruthless leader to remain quiet on the matter, even if it would have meant fetching for Kylo hours after Damerine's birth.

"With me, yes. Although, he saw the retreat favourably." Hux had taken the blame for the entire situation. Knowing that the Supreme Leader wasn't going to do much more than yell at him for his wrongdoings. It was admittedly his fault for succumbing to Kylo's pleas, abandoning his post and delegating the fate of the First Order to Captain Phasma. Whilst all of the above was true, he wouldn't have done anything any differently. Kylo was the most annoying and aggravating person he'd ever met but there was no way, in good conscience he could have left him. "I do employ that you speak with him."

"After your speech. It is important that the fleet know that I have returned."

"An excellent idea. Perhaps you could say a few words." Simply to boost morale after the attack. A show of unity and normality would surely give the Stormtroopers and other members of the First Order a great deal of reassurance.

"I wouldn't mind." Kylo didn't see much point in doing so. After all, he knew the Stormtroopers and the other generals hated him, it was Hux they all admired. During the weeks if his absence, in the secluded region of the base, he'd heard the relieved complaints of the officers. Many of whom would rant about his foul temper and blind obedience to the Supreme Leader - "like a dog" was thrown around quite often. In fact, Kylo found it rather amusing, none of these lowly and dispensable workers would ever say anything about his conduct directly to him.

"Whilst we're on the subject, we have some new recruits joining under Phasma's command, to make up for the loss suffered. We believe that we've come up with a better conditioning program, to prevent dissent." Hux hinted to Kylo. FN218's dissent from the regiment was a tightly kept secret among the officials. Should word ever reach the fleet, they could be sure that more will follow suit.

"Should the methods prove to be any better we will implement an order for every soldier to go through re-conditioning," Phasma said proudly.

"Good. It would be impossible to implement the same cloning techniques adopted by the Empire." Kylo stated. In such a short amount of time, the First Order could never create so many clones not that they would want to anyway. The individual differences in skill and ability among members of the fleet were an essential part of making sure the army was adapted and better than before those ruled by the Sith.

"Quite right." The table agreed.

The meeting had been quite brief, Kylo hadn't missed quite so much as he expected. As much as he hated to admit it, the First Order was running perfectly smooth without his assistance. He didn't dwell on things for too long, the others were capable individuals who could retain control, even without having force strength.

Kylo walked back to his room and put on his official garbs, including his dresscoat and cape. The only thing missing was his helmet - something he hasn't worn for months. He found that alongside the swelling in his hands and feet, his face also became puffier which made wearing his helmet uncomfortable and at some points, painful. He tried it on for size in the mirror, it wasn't tight and the filter didn't press into his nose like before. Although, he'd forgotten what it looked like to be the Mighty Kylo Ren again. Weeks of lounging around in next to nothing, and dressing down in his later stages of pregnancy had made the full 'get-up' quite alien.

Damerine didn't like the helmet, that much became obvious when Kylo picked her up from the cot. The blood-curdling screams erupted from the infant's mouth. She was obviously confused and frightened by her father's new look.

"I'm sorry." Kylo took the helmet off, "see, it's just me." He chucked the helmet away. Whenever tears fell and her bottom lip began to quiver it made him feel incredibly guilty. He wasn't quite sure what to do, he couldn't bear to let his daughter cry, but his helmet was a sigil of his allegiance to the Knights of Ren. "It's gone now, you can stop crying. Please." He begged, not that infants were in the business of bargaining.

He took the helmet with him to watch the speech, instead of putting it on, he held it under his arm. He wouldn't want Damerine to see him wearing it, she was the last person he wanted to be fearful of him.

The high ranking officers, himself included, all stood on the podium that oversaw the yard, watching the Stormtroopers arrive in an orderly fashion forming bands in their appropriate squads. As far as the eye could see, white helmets filled the entirety of the yard. This morning was entirely different to last week, instead of the conditioned silence, chatter swept along the ranks. Everybody turned to their neighbour to whisper and gossip.

Kylo Ren is back.

For the first time, he could ever remember, Hux had to yell for the muttering to cease. "Everybody, please!" He repeated himself, going slightly red in the face. Sure enough, the noise stopped, and the Stormtroopers straightened themselves out. Hux turned to Kylo and glared, for he had been the hot gossip. "First we shall hear some words from Commander Ten." Kylo stepped forward in front of the microphone.

"I am back and stronger than before. If there's one thing that giving birth and raising an infant has taught me, it's resilience. There will be many losses to overcome before the First Order has command of the entire galaxy, so we need to be resilient. Persistent. We will destroy the Resistance!" His words were followed by a swooping round of applause. Kylo was rather impressed with himself, pulling words together from his mind's abyss. He stuck by the things he said, resilience and strong will had kept him going for the last 10 month's, in times he wanted to give up and admit defeat but resilience kept him going.

"Thank you, Commander Ren." Hux took back the helms, "day-by-day the Resistance is picked apart, fewer remain today than yesterday. Soon we will have another opportunity to come face-to-face with the Rebel scum and mark my words, we shall be ready! That day will be the end of the Resistance." The Stormtroopers saluted Hux, raising their hands high and proud.

The generals all made their way back inside after the speech, "The Supreme Leader would like a word, Ren." Hux informed Kylo. Kylo walked passed, without a word. "Ren!" Hux called after Kylo.

"What is it?" Kylo asked bluntly.

"Why are you being so abrasive?" Hux enquired. He wasn't planning on bringing this up but something about Kylo not even appreciating his being just a moment ago had made him agitated.

"Am I? I suppose you would like an apology?"

"I would like to know why you're being this way, and only to me. I am your superior." Ever since Snoke had sidelined Kylo after losing Rey, Hux had been given the position of highest ranking officer and Kylo resented him for it. "After all, I've done for you." Kylo averted his eyes. "It's because of that, isn't it?" Hux deduced.

"Thank you for helping me. It's difficult for me to treat you the same...you saw me at my most vulnerable and exposed." Kylo admitted, "something nobody else has seen. I don't want this to affect the work we do." Kylo couldn't even look at Hux without remembering the details of that night; where Hux had his hands, how much of his body Hux saw, how many tears whimpers he shed.

"I still hate you, Ren. You're the very bain of my existence, that will never differ. As for everything else, I wouldn't flatter yourself." Hux cocked a brow sarcastically. He held it a personal achievement, making Kylo Ren laugh.

"Ass-hat." He smiled, "I'm sorry it took me this long to thank you." He held out a hand, a clear sign of a truce between the two of them. Hux grasped it firmly before bringing Kylo in for an unexpected hug. Kylo froze, stupefied. Hux gave him a few solid pats on the back before breaking away.

"Mnn, well..." He coughed, "congratulations." Hux moved on swiftly. Not entirely sure what had come over him, but feeling rather embarrassed.

Kylo made his way to the Supreme Leader's quarters, fearing exactly what might face him on the other side of the door. He gazed down at Damerine who seemed to be sleeping soundly and took a deep breath before knocking loudly at the door.

"Enter!" Came an echoing voice. Kylo pushed open the door and strode in with a fake sense of confidence. "Kylo Ren, I was wondering when you would be coming to visit me." Kylo stood half-way in the room, not daring to come any closer.

"You wanted to see me, Supreme Leader." Kylo bowed his head.

"I see you weren't able to part with the infant, even after exhausting our resources finding a suitable nanny." Kylo knew that he had been weak-willed and now felt ashamed, "No matter. Bring her to me." Snoke demanded. A growing fear burned in the bottom of his stomach as he approached. Snoke got up from his throne and reduced in size, making himself no taller than the average Wookie.

"A strong resemblance. Such great power lives within this one. From the moment she broke free, I could feel the disturbance in the force. A great disturbance indeed." Kylo's head whipped up, eyes blasted with surprise. "Couldn't you feel it?" Kylo had spent his entire pregnancy trying to ignore the baby within him, he was also constantly in the dark about how he was supposed to feel, perhaps he had been able to feel the force within him but limited it to just another symptom of the pregnancy. Damerine's birth had been too painful to notice any shifts in the force.

"I had no idea..." He muttered, slightly guilty and filled with self-loathing.

"You were born to a bloodline powerful with the force, even with a normal father, you remain one of the strongest in the galaxy. You have passed your gift on." Kylo grew wary of the gleam in Snoke's eyes. It would appear as if the Supreme Leader already had plans for his daughter, even before she could walk. It put him on edge.

"If you don't mind, Supreme Leader, I really must return. Damerine will need to be fed." The visit had been one far from comfort. Whilst Kylo wanted to believe that the Supreme Leader had good intentions, he found it hard to trust the hunger in his eyes.

"As you wish." Snoke disappeared with a holographic fuzz. Kylo spared not another moment and left the chambers. The worst part about the whole situation was how Snoke would always be listening to his thoughts, he had to keep his mind clean and free from worry otherwise Snoke would aim to punish Kylo for his opposition. 


End file.
